Refrigerator



C. F. JULIN REFRIGERATOR Dec. 13, 15949 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1947 INVENTOR CARL F JULIN l 7 Ml/ ATTORNEYS C. F. JULlN REFRIGERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2l, 1947 INVENTOR CARL F, J ULIN ATNEYS Patented Dec. 13,y 1949 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR Carli?. Juliu, NewYork, N.. X.

Application May 21, 1947,=ScilNof749,424

(Cl. `(i2-31?) 6 Claims. 1

YThis invention relates .torefrigerators and has 'for its -object :an :improved refrigerator of kthe poiftabl'e type in which the desired chilling for cooling .effect is obtained from `ice confined therein.

Although portable refrigerators of various forms of construction .have been proposed, 'there is need for one that can be easily handled; that maybe readily loaded with ice; that is adjustable to Apermit storing of 'food or drinkin vcontainers of various sizes; `and that keeps the :containers from shifting position when 'the lrefrigerator i's subjected to the usual handling, for 'cxam'ple Aduring an autcmobiletrip, at a picnic, '-etc.

Investigation confirms my :discovery that fa -portablerefrigerator with such and other advantages `may be readily and economically manufactured. 'It maybe made 'in various sizes.

In accordance 'withthe invention, the portable refrigerator comprises va cabinet, `the interior of which -is divided into a lower chamber for `ice and an upper chamber for the storageof food, thetwo chambers being in open communication with one another. -A door is provided vin "the front-of the cabinet above the lower chamber to provide access to jboth chambers. A retaining rack is located in the upper chamber a convenient distance above the lower chamber, the rack being provided with :xed .back and .front supports extending laterally from side to side of the cabine-t nndwith a plurality .of movable cross members .extending from back to front of the cabinet, 'the cross members yand'back and front supports being secnra'ble to eachother at .spaced intervalsito Yform spaces of predetermined sizes.

'These and other features of the invention will be better understood .by referring .-to thel accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the following description, inwhich- Fig. i is air-ont eleva-tion Vof -a portable refrigerator illustrative of a practice of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view in part of the top of the refrigerator showing a combination carrying device, etc.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Fig. l

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the refrigerator showing it mounted on the side of a Wall; and

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the same refrigerator showing it raised on the ground, for eX- ample with its door open and in position to be used as a tray.

The portable refrigerator shown comprises a cabinet I0, generally rectangular in shape, formed of :a frcnt ll, aback I2., :a bottom I3, sides ill and 115. and a top lili. 'The cabinet `maybe 'made of any `suitable material, such as aiplastic, 'metaL wood, insulating -boards,v etc. As shown, the front 'is divided .into :a .bottom panel section "I8 extending transversely across 'the cabinet, .and :a door gil .szescured ithereto by means of .a pan of :hinges 2,.

'The interior of the y'cabinet sis sdivided into .a lower chamber 25 vforzice or ice insa container, 'and an A111311121' chamber :25 :for :the .storage .of food. The two chambers are in open communication with :one another. As .shown :more particularly in Fig. `5, the iower chamber is, 1in effect, ldefined -by bottom panel .section 18 :atrthe front,.as well asby :bottom el 'andzby theflower .portions of back 42 andsides YHl .and l5.. AAs .shownin Figs. 4 and 5, the lower chamber is sufficiently large to receive sa conventional vTice `tray 28, .enough .space being proiidedat the Asides to :permit easy ygrasping ofthe tray. The :tray fis fshown .tted with :a eonventionalspacerii' to form.separate ice cubes, lete.

,A `re-terming track 36 (see Figs. '4 .and 5) is `provided in the upper nhamber fa fconvenient distance above the lower chamber. The lrack .consists nf .a fixed back support 38 and a fixed front support 4'0 extending laterally across vthe cabinet, the `supports vbeing .suitably vsecured `to the sides of 'the cabinet. :plurality of movable cross members 41314546, Wye-tc., extend from back to front of .the fcabinet. The 'fixed supports and cross members `are advantageously made of -Wire rods. The cross "members zand 'back and front members are lsecurable to each other at spaced intervals to form spaces of predetermined size. To .this rend in fthe 4construction shown, the fix-ed back and front supports are provided with `re cesses $0 at `negula-rly spaced intervals, `in which the jcross members are :adapted to 'be inserted, preferably with a snug so vas not readily to be displaced in use. So that the movable cross members may not slide out of position their ends are preferably turned over as shown, so that they occupy the spaces adjacent the back and front of the cabinet.

As shown in Fig. 5, the movable members may be mounted on the fixed members in such a way as to provide a succession of rectangular spaces of predetermined sizes in which may be inserted, for example, a bottle of milk 56, a package of butter 51, a bottle of soft drink 58 and a bottle of beer 59. Each of these articles rests on the top of the ice tray in actual contact with the top thereof, the spacer and even the ice cubes. Each article is kept in its place in the rack by the xed supports and the movable members. In other words they cannot fall out of the cabinet when the door is opened. If desired, other articles, preferably of the kind that do not break readily, may be placed on the tops of those described. Since the lower chamber is enclosed on all sides, except its top, the coldest air tends to remain trapped in the chamber when the door is opened for short intervals.

A conventional automatic locking device 62, having a spring operated pin, is adapted to be brought into and out of engagement by closing the door and opening it, respectively.

As more particularly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, the cabinet is also provided with a combination carrying device for carrying the cabinet and its contents. In the particular construction shown, the carrying device is in the form of a bottle opener 10 disposed laterally across the mid-section of the top of the cabinet. The base of the bottle opener is provided with a link 12, in Yturn secured to an anchor member 14 fixedly secured to the top of the door. The other end of the bottle opener is shown hooked to a hook 16, in turn secured to a link 18. The latter link is secured to an anchor member 19 fixedly secured to the back of the cabinet, as shown more especially in Figs. 2 and 6. Another link 80 is secured to link 14, the latter being adapted, for example, to be hung over a hook 82 secured to a wall 84 or other support.

When closed, the door should lt tightly to prevent egress oi' cold air and ingress of warm air. Any suitable construction to obtain this result may be employed. The walls of the lower chamber, at least, are preferably impervious to moisturc.

The portable refrigerator may be used in various ways. While the lower chamber is particularly adapted to receive a tray of ice cubes, such as are to be found in most kitchen refrigerators, other containers for the ice may be employed. Ice itself, without a. container, may be placed in the lower chamber. Instead of ordinary ice (H2O), dry ice (CO2) may be employed. With the cabinet standing on the ground, for example, bottle opener 1U may be separated from hook 16 and used to open one or more bottles; and door 20 may be opened forwardly and used as a tray by using the bottle opener as a prop.

It will be clear that the portable refrigerator specifically referred to is only by way f example and that the practice of the invention lends itself to a number of useful modifications.

I claim:

1. In a portable refrigerator, the improvement comprising a cabinet, the interior of the cabinet being divided into a lower zone for ice and an upper zone for the storage of food, the two zones being in open communication with one another,

the lower zone being defined by a bottom panel section at the front and the lower portions of the back and sides of the cabinet, a door in the front of the cabinet above the lower zone to provide access to both zones, and a retaining rack in the upper zone a convenient distance above the lower zone, said rack being provided with open spaces adapted to receive and retain articles of food and the like with the bottoms thereof extending to the lower zone for chilling.

2. A portable refrigerator according to claim 1, in which the lower zone is provided with an ice cube tray.

3. A portable refrigerator according to claim 1, in which the door is hinged at its lower end so that the door may be dropped forwardly of the cabinet and used as a tray.

4. A portable refrigerator according to claim 1, in which the door is hinged at its lower end so that the door may be dropped forwardly of the cabinet and used as a tray, and a bottle opener is linkedly secured to the upper end of the door so that it may be brought under and become a support for that end of the door when it is used as a tray.

5. A portable refrigerator according to claim 1, in which the door is hinged at its lower end so that the door may be dropped forwardly of the cabinet and used as a tray, and a hand grip extends across the top of the cabinet, the hand grip being disconnectible at one end and at the other being linkedly secured to the upper part of the door so that when the door is used as a tray the hand grip may be brought under and become a support for the tray.

6. A portable refrigerator according to claim' l, in which the rack is provided with fixed back and front supports secured to the side walls of the cabinet, the supports extending laterally from side to side of the cabinet to the rear of the door when closed, and with a plurality of movable cross members extending from back to front of the cabinet, the cross members and back and front supports being securable to each other at spaced intervals to form said spaces.

CARL F. J ULIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,283,368 Turchin Oct. 29, 1918 2,024,648 Kissling Dec. 17, 1935 2,187,387 Trigg Jan. 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 746,044 France May 20, 1933 

